1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns the field of silicon-based integrated circuits and more particularly, integrated circuits having an insulative layer formed adjacent active circuit structures of the integrated circuit.
2. Related Technology
The implantation of noble gas and of other materials by ion implantation and other methods into the crystalline lattice of silicon has been studied for several years. For example, the following technical papers investigate various aspects of such implantation.
"Epitaxial Regrowth of Argon-implanted Amorphous Silicon", by P. Revesz, et al., Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 49, p. 5199 (1978). "Interactions Between Interstitial Atoms in Silicon: Arsenic-Argon-Boron and Boron-Argon-Phosphorous", by S. Aronowitz, Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 63, p. 1037 (1988).
While no pre-filing patentability search has been conducted with respect to the present invention, United States patents known to the Applicants and which may be relevant to the present invention are: U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,566, issued Nov. 20, 1973 to T. Tsuchimoto; U.S. Pat. No. 3,887,994, issued Jun. 10, 1975 to S. Ku, et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,667, issued Aug. 25, 1987 to S. Aronowitz.
However, none of these technical papers or patents teaches or suggests to use such a noble gas implant to improve the isolation of a field oxidation layer from an active carrier implant of an integrated circuit.